His bosses nodded solemnly. Neuheisel lowered his head, dropping his chin to his white sweater vest.

There's nothing to positive to say about the most lopsided Bruin defeat since USC thumped them, 76-0, in 1929. That's why there was silence on the sideline, somber in the locker room and "Adversity builds character" written out on the white board for the players to see.

Where the Bruins go from here likely will fall somewhere between what they've experienced in just the first two weeks and two games of the 2008 season.

They've climbed to the highest peak with the season-opening, upset, overtime victory over ranked Tennessee. They collapsed to the deepest, most sunless valley with Saturday's most humiliating loss.

One victory made them puffed out their chests, smile with confidence and feel as though they had proven that they were better than anyone thought.

But now, one bitter defeat at Edwards Stadium has them shocked and shattered, possibly worried that they could be in worse shape than anyone feared.

The blowout kept Cougars fans in the crowd of 64,153, except for the skinny pizza slice of Bruin blue-clad supporters who sat with their heads buried in their hands in one corner of the stadium. Disbelief was soon overtaken by despair.

"It's obviously a tough loss for us to be dominated in the way that we were," said Neuheisel, diplomatically.

This loss wasn't just any loss but one that unfolding with blind shots, tough hits and free falls. Though they trailed only 14-0 in the second quarter, the Bruins found themselves down and out quickly and suddenly, like the canon blasts that the Cougars' spirit troupes set off after all seven scores.

With about 12 minutes left in the second quarter, BYU right defensive end Jan Jorgensen throttled first-year Bruin starting quarterback Kevin Craft, jostling the ball loose. Six seconds and a 37-yard pass play later, BYU was ahead, 21-0.

On the Bruins' next possession, Cougars cornerback Scott Johnson laid into freshman running back Raymond Carter, hammering Carter in the thigh after a 1-yard gain. The ball came lose again, winding up in the Cougars' claws. Five plays and 30 yards later, BYU was up, 28-0.

On the ensuing kickoff, Bruin returner Terrence Austin got leveled by Blake Morgan. Again, the ball dribbled free and landed in the Cougars' grasp. Seventeen seconds, three plays and 25 yards later, BYU took a 35-0.

The Bruins were behind, 42-0, at halftime.

"We knew we were in trouble," said Bruin safety Alterraun Verner, who dropped to his knees in the end zone and sat motionless for five seconds after he allowed a Cougar receiver too much freedom. "We weren't playing well. We were getting frustrated because we were losing and losing quickly, like a flash flood."

In the end, they were outscored, 59 to 0. They were outgained in total offensive yards, 521 to 239. They were outrushed, 184 to nine, on the ground.

They were beaten, seven touchdowns to no touchdowns and no field goals (one blocked, one missed).

They were playing a team that was doing everything right and defending against a quarterback - Max Hall completed 27 of 35 passes for 271 yards and seven touchdowns - who seemed to do no wrong. (Hall did have one interception, upon which the Bruins failed to capitalize.)

And the Bruins, on this day, couldn't do anything right. "We didn't improve," Neuheisel said.

So what can you say?

"Nothing," Verner said. "Just look ahead."

It was difficult for the players, one bye week removed from a No. 23 ranking, to believe they loss so handily, so convincingly, so helplessly.

"I told them, 'It's just one loss and what will be important to us is to let it go and take from it what we can (for Arizona),'" the coach said. "It will not be easy but we are going to test the 'relentlessly positive,' (philosophy)."

In the solemn Bruin locker room after the game, Neuheisel told his players, "This is one round in a 12-round fight."They'll have a day to feel sorry. But they'll need at least a week to recover.

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